Layered Ice Cream Fudge Cake

Because of the Holiday season, I wanted my first recipe post to be something festive, impressive enough for guests, miraculously easy and ready to serve when you’re ready to impress.

This cake is wonderful for so many reasons. The first is its adjustability and customizability. It will take you from a Tuesday night on the couch snuggling with your honey, to a kid’s Birthday party, to a glamorous and sparkly Christmas shindig.

The best part? It’s made from ice cream sandwiches. Yep. Good ol’ fashioned, chocolate and vanilla, used-to-buy-them-from-the-ice-cream-man ice cream sandwiches. It’s those sandwiches, combined with whipped cream, chocolate fudge, a hint of Oreo cookie, and a bit more ice cream that makes this cake so sinfully good. What? I didn’t say my first recipe post would be a healthy one.

For this recipe, I’ve handmade both the whipped cream, and the chocolate fudge, but you are more than welcome to substitute Cool Whip and/or store bought chocolate fudge sauce for these components.

So let’s get started!

Ingredient List:

Fudge:

2 c. powdered sugar

12 oz. (one standard size can) evaporated milk

1/2 c. (one stick) salted butter

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 tsp. salt

Whipped Cream:

1 pint whipping cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

Cake:

12 store bought ice cream sandwiches

3-4 c. chocolate ice cream, softened just to spreadable consistency (I usually microwave it for 5-10 second intervals until it’s just right)

1 c. crushed Oreo cookie pieces

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If you are making the fudge from scratch (and you should, because it’s SO easy and truly worth it), you’ll want to do this a few hours in advance, so that it has ample time to cool before you layer it into the ice cream. If it isn’t cool, you’ll end up with a Non-Layered Ice Cream Puddle Cake. While delicious, this version isn’t so pretty.

How to Make the Fudge:

Combine all ingredients in medium sized saucepan, bring to boil

Stirring constantly, boil for 7 minutes

Remove from heat, cool

See, I told you it was easy. One word of advice- no matter how great the temptation, resist sampling the fudge until it is cool, or nearly there. This stuff gets hot hot hot. I may have burned my tongue making this. More than once. Maybe.

*Note: Cook until fudge has a silky, pudding-like look to it

After boiling 1 minute After boiling 7 minutes

*Note: For this cake, you will only use about 1/2 c. to 1 c. of fudge. This recipe makes enough that you will have plenty leftover to save in the fridge for later. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks. I store mine in a mason jar. Trust me, you will love having this stuff around!

How to Make the Whipped Cream:

Pour all of the whipping cream into a mixing bowl, and mix until cream starts to thicken. At this point, add in the powdered sugar. Continue to mix until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Crush Those Cookies!

Put about 10 Oreos in a zip top bag, and one in your mouth, because hey, you deserve it. Using a rolling pin, frying pan, baseball bat, Moana barbie doll (these are easily accessible in my house), or whatever else you feel like, crush those babies up.

Assemble the Goodness

Unwrapping the ice cream sandwiches as you go, layer 6 onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Next, spread the chocolate ice cream over the top. This part can get a little messy, don’t be afraid to use your (clean) fingers to spread the ice cream evenly.

Atop the ice cream layer, pour the (cooled) fudge, followed by half of the crushed Oreos, and finally, about a third of your whipped cream. Store the remaining whipped cream in the fridge for later.

*Note: How much fudge you use is entirely up to you. Also, you can most certainly spread the fudge more evenly than I did, but I personally prefer a bit of variety in my spoonfuls. Some extra fudgy, some with no fudge, and so on.

At this point, you’ll top the whipped cream layer with the remaining 6 ice cream sandwiches.

Put into the freezer for 2-3 hours, until the ice cream has firmed up.

When your cake has set, remove it from the freezer. Using a spatula, transfer it to your serving platter. It is here you will frost it with your remaining whipped cream.

A little trick I like to use to prevent a giant frosting (or, in this case, whipped cream) mess, is to tuck 4-6 pieces of foil under the edge of the cake before frosting. You can be as Jackson Pollock as you’d like, and then the foil simply slips out and you’re left with a clean serving platter. Use your spatula to help lift the cake and slip the foil underneath.

After frosting with the remaining whipped cream, slip the foil from underneath the corners, and garnish with remaining Oreo pieces.

And that’s it! This cake freezes beautifully (I mean, obviously. It is an ice cream cake) so you can make it as early as 3 days before your gathering. If this is your plan, I would suggest waiting to frost and garnish until the day you intend to serve. Simply wrap in plastic wrap at the freezing stage, then frost when ready. Other than that, you’re good to go!

Don’t forget to embrace your inner chef/artist and get creative! You could mix it up with Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches, or another flavor ice cream. You could decorate the top with anything that strikes your fancy! Crushed up peppermint candy? How festive! Toasted sliced almonds? How elegant! Sprinkles? Well, sprinkles are the stuff children’s joy is made of. Anything goes! I can’t wait to hear all about your versions!